We Try the New Jelly Doughnut Pancakes from IHOP

With the introduction of their three latest pancakes, IHOP has really moved the goalposts on what constitutes a legitimate breakfast and what squarely qualifies as dessert. There's the Tiramisu pancakes (a stack of 'cakes layered with mocha cream, chocolate powder, and cocoa) and the Banana Graham Nut (sliced bananas, graham cracker crumbs, honey pecans, marshmallow cream, and cinnamon cream cheese), but the option that really intrigued me was the Jelly Doughnut Pancakes ($4.99 for a stack of four).

The presentation pays homage to the doughnut, but it's not a direct copy. Instead of being coated in powdered sugar (that is somehow always magnetically attracted to my crotch... not sure about your experience), the pancakes are drizzled with a sweet confectioners' sugar glaze. The presentation of the jelly is a bit tweaked, too. It's piped in a thick ribbon around the outside edge of the pancakes, not deposited in a blob in the center. Meaning that, unlike its doughnut cousin, you don't get a few bites of plain pancake before hitting the jelly payload.

If you've always wished jelly doughnuts could have twice as much jelly, this application might be a bonus, but if you want a little jelly with your pancakes (as opposed to the other way around), it's probably going to be too much.

When I'm craving a jelly doughnut (and had the foresight not to wear black pants), raspberry isn't my go-to, so I was surprised to find crunchy seeds scattered throughout the jelly. While a heavily seeded jam is great on a PB&J, it's not as tasty in a pancake. There weren't so many seeds that the jelly tasted like preserves, but just enough that it felt like it had been invaded by fruit flies in armor; dastardly little buggers just waiting to lodge themselves between my back teeth.

Even though the jelly doughnut pancakes are quite heavy on the jelly (and the seeds are a distraction), it's worthwhile to give them a try. Split between two people, they're fun for dessert and cheap enough to justify the experiment, even if they don't turn out to be your favorite pancakes of all time.

About the author: Erin Jackson is a food writer and photographer who is obsessed with discovering the best eats in San Diego. You can find all of her discoveries on her San Diego food blog EJeats.com. On Twitter, she's @ErinJax

Previewing your comment:

HTML Hints

Comment Guidelines

Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more in the Comment Policy section of our Terms of Use page.